Monster Hunter: This Rathalos Has Special Traits

After identifying the direction, he flew toward his nest. 

The fierce wind whipped against his face, finally snapping Kael Drakethorne back to his senses. Watching the clouds drift beneath his feet, he felt a mix of fear and exhilaration. 

The exhilaration likely stemmed from the genes of the Rathalos—the sky's sovereign, whose flying prowess was unquestionable. The air was the Rathalos' domain. 

The fear, however, came from his current inability to fly. His skeletal structure and wing membranes weren't yet strong enough to support takeoff. In his past life's games, people often joked about "hunters who never die from falls" or "Witchers with osteoporosis." But this was reality. If he fell from this height, Kael had no illusions about surviving. 

With that thought, he could only resign himself to being carried in the Rathian's jaws, letting her take him to an unknown destination. 

Rathalos possessed exceptional vision. Even at this altitude, the scenery below remained crystal clear. 

He watched as they passed over a forest, crossed a river, and saw the dense foliage gradually thin out. As yellow sand began swirling in the wind, they descended. 

At a cliffside where the Wildspire Waste met the Ancient Forest, the Rathian carrying Kael slowly landed. 

Hidden here was a cave with a small stream flowing from the Ancient Forest into the Wildspire Waste. This was the nest the Rathian had painstakingly sought out after gaining independence from her siblings, allowing her to hunt alone. 

In this area, creatures that couldn't fly couldn't reach it, and those that could fly were no match for her. Over time, the vicinity became her territory. Aside from the occasionally troublesome Pukei-Pukei that liked foraging for toxic mushrooms in the nearby thickets, few reckless monsters dared to wander into her domain. 

The nest was structured like a cliffside alcove—above it lay the Ancient Forest, below stretched the Wildspire Waste, and beside it cascaded a waterfall, feeding the small stream inside. 

### 

Kael never imagined his survival mode would shift from "hard" to "easy" overnight. The only headache now was that he seemed to have lost his freedom. 

High-tier creatures in the Monster Hunter world possessed considerable intelligence, and some apex Elder Dragons even surpassed human intellect. While Rathalos couldn't quite reach that level, their species still had ways to distinguish individuals. 

The Rathian who had carried Kael away had a name—in human terms, she was called Yaji. 

Since being brought to her nest, Kael had been treated like a true hatchling. Yaji, overflowing with maternal instincts, kept a close watch on him. Food was brought to him daily, and when thirsty, he only needed to drink from the nearby stream. 

Thankfully, Kael wasn't as helpless as when he'd first hatched. Otherwise, Yaji might have followed other Rathian mothers' examples and pre-chewed his food before feeding him. 

In short, under the care of this beautiful, not-yet-mature Rathian, he experienced the treatment a hatchling in this world truly deserved. 

But in exchange, as a hatchling, Yaji forbade him from wandering near the cave entrance, fearing he might fall to his death or be killed by other flying wyverns. 

Thus, Kael's days were unbearably dull. Aside from lying around absorbing geyser energy, his routine consisted of eating the meat Yaji brought back or reluctantly choking down the toxic mushrooms she insisted he consume under her stern gaze. 

Rathalos' venom was produced in venom glands, but consuming certain toxic mushrooms from the Ancient Forest could enhance its potency. 

Kael could tell—Yaji was genuinely holding herself to the standards of a mother Rathian, doing her utmost to care for him. 

Yet, this dynamic made Kael deeply uncomfortable. It was like, *I see you as my future, but you want to be my mom?* 

Days passed in this manner, and before he knew it, a month had slipped by. 

With ample nutrition, Kael's injuries had fully healed. His bones grew denser, his shattered scales shed and replaced with tougher ones. 

His claws lengthened and sharpened, his wings strengthened, patterns emerged on his wing membranes, and his previously dormant flame sac finally matured—now he could exhale thick smoke laced with sparks. 

The only regret was that his body seemed past its initial rapid growth phase. Despite malnutrition, he'd shot from 80 cm to over 2 meters in just ten days after hatching. 

Now, despite plentiful nutrition, his length hadn't breached 3 meters. Before Yaji, he remained a tiny shrimp whose scruff she could effortlessly seize. 

Lately, Kael's wings had been itching. Though Yaji's nest wasn't small, it only allowed him to flap in circles a couple of times. But he had a feeling—he'd be able to fly soon! 

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next second. 

Aside from physical growth, his cheat ability hadn't stalled either. This time, however, the progress bar charged much more slowly. Still, after a month, it was nearly complete. 

After gulping some water and chewing down Yaji's snack—an Archaeopteryx—Kael lay in the nest of leaves and branches, idly absorbing geyser energy while waiting for Yaji to return from hunting. 

But strangely, by now, she should have been back long ago. 

Dutifully playing the role of mother, Yaji had a strict hunting schedule. During that window, she'd swiftly hunt, eat her fill outside, then kill another prey to bring back before staying in the nest to watch over Kael. 

Sometimes, pressed for time, she'd bring Kael's meal first, ensure his safety, then head out again to hunt for herself. 

Today was the first time she'd been gone so long. Unease gnawed at Kael. 

But in his current state—still unable to fly—searching for her was out of the question. 

All he could do was wait in the nest, watching the progress bar fill while hoping for Yaji's return. 

Time trickled by. The progress bar completed, yet Yaji still hadn't returned. Now, Kael was genuinely frantic—had something happened? 

**[Trait: Huge Power—Extraction Successful!]** 

Huge Power!? 

Kael jolted upright. He never expected *this* trait! 

For him—no, for most monsters in this world—was practically a godlike ability. 

*Physical attack power doubled!* 

What did that mean? In this world, aside from a select few, most combat relied on physical brawling. Even those exceptions still depended on physical attacks to some degree. 

With this trait, Kael could unleash combat prowess far beyond expectations. 

*Speed Boost plus Huge Power!* 

At this moment, Kael felt terrifyingly strong! 

As the trait integrated, waves of heat surged through his body. His physique rapidly enhanced under an indescribable force, and the itching in his wings intensified beyond anything before. 

Instinctively, Kael spread his wings and flapped—effortlessly lifting off the ground. His curled toes unfurled, and with steady wingbeats, he hovered midair. 

He could fly!! 

With a powerful downstroke, Kael shot out of the nest, piercing through clouds into the open sky! 

He spun, rolled, and performed dazzling aerial maneuvers—flying felt as natural as breathing, entirely at his command. 

Now, he'd truly grown into a proper Rathalos. 

After venting his excitement, Kael finally stilled. Despite continuous wingbeats, he felt no fatigue. 

Of course—Rathalos were naturally adept fliers, and New World variants had evolved even greater aerial prowess. 

Now, Kael missed Yaji deeply. He wanted to share this joy with her. 

But he had no idea where she'd gone. Calming himself, he decided to start searching around the nest's vicinity. 

With flight, the dense forests and barren sands were no longer forbidden zones. He'd gained true survival capital. 

### 

A crimson figure streaked across the sky. Wingdrakes circling over the Wildspire Waste scattered in panic. Though this figure wasn't much larger than them, the primal danger etched into their genes screamed warnings. 

Below, some monsters noticed the presence above, puzzled by a Rathalos appearing here. Even newly independent juveniles would choose the more hospitable forests—not this desolate wasteland. 

The Wildspire Waste was all desert, its skies choked with yellow sand, yet none of it obscured Kael's vision. 

He followed the river for a while, spotting migrating Aptonoth, fleeing Kelbi evading predators, and a sneaky Kulu-Ya-Ku stealing eggs from an Aptonoth nest—but no trace of Yaji. 

Realizing he'd strayed beyond Yaji's territory, Kael reluctantly turned back. 

Normally, Yaji only hunted near her domain. The untouched Aptonoth and Kelbi along the way meant she hadn't come this way today. Continuing downriver would be pointless. 

Returning to the nest, he found it unchanged—no blood scent, meaning Yaji hadn't returned mid-journey. Kael took off again. 

This time, he headed toward the lake where Yaji had first found him. But upon gaining altitude, his sharp vision caught violent tree movements deep in the Ancient Forest. 

The distance exceeded Yaji's usual range, but on a hunch, Kael adjusted course. 

*** 

Yaji felt unlucky today. After ensuring her hatchling wouldn't wander, she'd gone to her usual hunting grounds, planning to pick a plump Aptonoth for lunch. 

But upon arrival, she found a stray Anjanath rampaging by the lake, scaring off all prey. 

Assessing its massive frame, muscular build, and aura, Yaji swallowed her frustration and sought another spot. 

At the second location, the damned Pukei-Pukei had invaded her territory—*again!* 

Worse, the idiot Pukei-Pukei seemed to have lost its mind today. Instead of fleeing at her approach, it kept scarfing down toxic mushrooms, even spreading its wings defiantly when she growled a warning. 

Could she tolerate this? 

Though the Pukei-Pukei had somehow grown significantly larger since their last encounter, Yaji wasn't afraid. Back when she'd been smaller, this thing had fled at the sight of her. Now that she'd grown, she'd just kill it! 

With a roar, Yaji charged like a green freight train. 

The Pukei-Pukei stood its ground, colliding head-on. 

The two titans clashed, neither gaining the upper hand. Their strength was evenly matched. 

Yaji couldn't accept this. That coward who used to sneak in for mushrooms while she hunted now rivaled her? 

It was like some lowlife you'd always scorned suddenly matching you blow for blow, making you the fool in its twisted game. 

So when the impact ended, Yaji's blood boiled. Today, she *would* kill it—defending her territory and pride! 

The two behemoths tore into each other—one with size, the other with species advantages—neither yielding. 

Their immense stamina dragged the battle farther from the original site, which was why Kael hadn't spotted them immediately. 

When Kael arrived, Yaji and the Pukei-Pukei were locked in a standoff amidst toppled trees, scorched earth, and toxin-eaten boulders. 

Yaji wasn't in good shape. Cracked scales littered her body, her mantle-like spines were broken in places, blood dripped from her jaw spikes, and venom glistened on her tail. 

Her right wing had taken a direct hit—a patch of membrane burned purple-red, oozing blood. 

Rathians only used fire or venom when absolutely necessary—exhausting moves. This Pukei-Pukei must've pushed her too far, because despite her injuries, she showed no signs of backing down. 

The Pukei-Pukei wasn't faring much better, but compared to Yaji, its worst wound was a bleeding gash in its belly—undoubtedly from Yaji's jaw spikes. 

Yet its morale seemed higher. Yaji was losing. 

Neither noticed Kael above. Locked in combat, neither dared to glance away, giving Kael an opening. 

With a wingbeat, he soared behind the Pukei-Pukei, then dove. 

Speed Boost activated the moment battle intent flared, accelerating his descent. 

By the time the Pukei-Pukei sensed him, it was too late—especially with Yaji charging head-on. 

Cornered, the experienced Pukei-Pukei assessed Kael's size and dismissed him, leaving its back exposed. 

In its experience, a juvenile Rathalos' dive might scratch it at best. With fragile bones, any collision would shatter Kael before harming it. 

That single claw swipe wouldn't even pierce its hide. The real threat was the insane Rathian. 

### 

To the Pukei-Pukei, this Rathian was unhinged—smaller yet daring to challenge it. 

Pukei-Pukei judged opponents purely by size. If smaller, they could win. If larger, they'd flee immediately. 

Thus, some Pukei-Pukei even attacked Rajang—a creature capable of threatening smaller Elder Dragons—only to get effortlessly pummeled. 

If not for their toxic, unpalatable flesh, they'd have ended up as dinner. 

That's why this herbivorous Bird Wyvern kept fighting despite its wounds. 

Had this been before, Kael with only Speed Boost might've merely scratched it, with high odds of breaking his claws. 

But now, with Huge Power amplifying Speed Boost's effects, plus his deceptively juvenile appearance, he could deliver a brutal surprise. 

Like this, Pukei-Pukei flares its neck feathers to appear intimidating while leaving its back wide open. It would pay for its misjudgment. 

One swipe! 

Just one swipe! 

It's back split open—a deep gash tore through flesh, scales ripped away. 

Agony made the Pukei-Pukei's frog-like eyes bulge. Its defensive stance faltered, letting Yaji slam it aside. 

This world's monsters, nourished by geyser energy, boasted incredible muscle and bone density. 

Even after Yaji's full-force charge, the Pukei-Pukei scrambled up and counterattacked. 

Kael, having landed his strike, glided before ascending again. His claws ached faintly, but battle focus drowned out the pain. 

His mind was crystal clear—engaging head-on would only burden Yaji. Only by staying airborne, harassing with hit-and-run strikes, could he truly help. 

Below, the two titans clashed again—biting, slashing, spitting venom, tail-whipping, charging relentlessly.